Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Writing Is Contagious

I love it when the first game of an NHL playoff series ends in a win for my Pittsburgh Penguins, and that is just what has happened. The Penguins have beaten the Ottawa Senators 4-1 in their first game, and it appears that the Sens will be a much easier opponent for the Pens than the New York Islanders were in the first round. The Islanders were just so fast, and aside from game one of that series, I never really felt like the Pens had control of it until about halfway through game six, the clincher. The Sens are nowhere near as fast, and once again the Pens power-play has been incredible and really the difference maker. I am so much more calm than the first round. That's a good thing for my heart and my stress-level.

In fact, today was stress-free in a lot of ways. I had a close-out meeting with my former boss (our acting director for the past six months), and she was very complimentary. I don't take compliments well, because I really feel like they are undeserved, but something she said really caught my attention. She said that I was a good writer, something that she felt was missing with so many people in management. I thanked her, but it was a take-away that stayed with me all afternoon. I've never really thought about it much, but it's true. There are so many people who just can't write very well, and in our increasingly mobile and short-hand culture, there is less and less incentive for people to know how to type and spell, let alone write. And that's kind of sad. But it also explains why a former girlfriend made fun of me for my long texts, finally telling me that they're "texts, not emails!" I still can't intentionally misspell words, even in a text.

While I don't consider myself a great writer by any means, I do feel like I can put my thoughts into my writing and get ideas across to my audience, if that's what being a good writer is all about. And I've tried to do that with this blog. It has provided an outlet for me to write, much more and better than anything that I have to write in my job, and I believe it's a great way to exercise those creative muscles. In fact, I made a conscious effort to update the blog on a(n) (almost) daily basis. If anyone is actually reading these words, and there must be a few of you out there, thank you for your support. I'd love to receive any feedback, if you'd care to comment.

Apparently this writing stuff is contagious, because my daughter has picked it up and is writing daily. She is writing a couple of different fictional stories that are downright adorable, and I'm really impressed with her creativity. I hope to foster this budding talent, because she definitely has that gift. I think she gets it from her mother, who was a high school English teacher. Maybe she'll be a teacher someday, too.

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Here We Go, Steelers....!

Favorite Quotations

Matthew 16:23 - "But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'"

Isaiah 41:10 - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

1 Peter 5:10 - "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope."

Titus 2:7-8 - "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Joshua 24:15 - "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Luke 2:14 - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

"Don't judge a man by where he is, because you don't know how far he has come." - C.S. Lewis

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence." - George Washington

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

"You don't lead by hitting people over the head -- that's assault, not leadership." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

"The future starts today, not tomorrow." -- Pope John Paul II

"No man is a failure who has friends." - Clarence the Angel, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

"Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It's a good life; enjoy it." - Jim Henson